Rama and Labella should stay united or lose
United they stand, divided, they both shall fall.
I felt quite sad prior to the Sinulog celebration after I heard rumors that it is possible for my good friend and fellow Visayanian, Vice Mayor Edgar Labella, to run for mayor against incumbent Tom Osmeña. And that would, in effect, leave my esteemed former mayor Mike Rama as the unexpectedly jilted third party in such a political love triangle, out in the cold, abandoned, alone, and feeling betrayed. On second thought, I would hasten to interject that it has been said, and perhaps, rightly so, that all is fair in love and politics. On the third thought, such a political predicament can even be turned into a blessing in disguise. If only Mike Rama and Edgar Labella can just talk things out and avoid the two of them both running against Mayor Tom. Because it would be lose-lose if they fall to the divideand-conquer gambit. If they will collide, Tom will be the happiest guy in town.
The friends of both Mike and Edgar should conciliate and mediate, or even arbitrate if the two would voluntarily submit their political fate in the hands of honorable and respected wise old men. There is a formula that they can explore, and I am now willing to modify it. Earlier, I proposed that Vice Mayor Labella should run for Congress against Raul del Mar in the north district and Mike can run against Abellanosa in the south. But with the latest development, perhaps Labella can run against Mayor Tom and Mike can go ahead in the south. Or, Mike can run against Mayor Tom and Labella can go ahead against Del Mar. But then again, victory is never assured. Money and party machinery are the names of the game. Malacañan will play the decisive role.
The advantage of Mike is his strong rapport with the barangay captains, and other grassroots leaders. Well, of course, not all of them, but I feel that if the village chiefs are going to be asked, they would prefer Mike. He is cariñoso, easy to talk to, a hands-on mayor, not an ivory tower executive, and a lawyer too. He rubs elbows with the poor and the unlettered, eats with them and sings love songs over beer or brandy. Mayor Tom is never known for that. I don’t really know if that is Edgar’s cup of tea. The advantage of the vice mayor is that he is the darling of Malacañan today and Mike is still misunderstood by President Digong. If he can only meet the president and open his heart to him, I think Mike will be it again. Still, there just too many ifs and buts.
One thing is clear to me, all the propaganda against Mike are mostly false. Mike is the most God-fearing, straight-talking younger politician that we have today. But Edgar has the better image for being a humble, lowkey, and simple man. There has been no rumor linking the vice mayor about love, romance, or any questionable entanglement. Mike’s love life is largely “tsismis.” To me, he has not committed any actionable breach, as far as I know. Well, I do not want to comment about Mayor Tom. He may misunderstand my views. At least Mike and Edgar both know me from Adam when the world was still young for all of us. The three of us, one time or another, studied in our UV beloved, and we are all admirers and distant disciples of mayor, former governor, and former congressman Eddie Gullas.
Whatever happens in Cebu City come 2019 will depend on how Tom, Mike, and Edgar play their cards and also how and to what extent Malacañan will intervene in Cebu politics. We are all watching with much excitement and expectation…with our secret wishes, of course.